> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.broadwaynews.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # ‘Soft Power’ leads Drama Desk nominations - URL: https://www.broadwaynews.com/soft-power-sweeps-drama-desk-nominations/ - Published: 2020-04-21T18:25:25.000Z - Updated: 2022-10-05T19:43:49.000Z - Description: “Soft Power,” an Off-Broadway musical by David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori, received the highest number of Drama Desk nominations Tuesday. - Author: Caitlin Huston - Tags: Awards, #caitlin, Roundabout Theatre Company, Tom Kitt, Joshua Henry, David Henry Hwang, Paul Steinberg, Christian Borle, Mark Thompson, Laura Linney, Catherine Zuber, Alyse Alan Louis, Lincoln Center Theater, Lynn Nottage, The Actors Fund, Jack Thorne, Peter Hylenski, George Abud, Playwrights Horizons, Clint Ramos, Camille A. 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Mollison, Margo Seibert, Kuhoo Verma, The Mint, Primary Stages, The Actors Theater Company, Partial Comfort Productions, The Women’s Project and Productions, Intimacy Directors International, News “Soft Power,” an Off-Broadway musical by David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori, received the highest number of Drama Desk nominations Tuesday. The musical, which was directed by Leigh Silverman and played the Public Theater in September 2019, received 11 nominations, followed by “The Wrong Man” with nine nominations and “Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven” with eight. The nominations took into consideration Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows that opened before March 11. The nominations were announced on Stars in the House Tuesday afternoon. The winners will be announced on May 31. In regards to the Broadway productions of “Slave Play” and “Girl from the North Country,” both of which had recent Off-Broadway runs, the nominating committee only considered elements which constituted new work. “Sea Wall / A Life,” “Derren Brown: Secret,” “Slava’s Snowshow” and “Pip’s Island” were not eligible because they had been considered in past seasons. Special awards were given to the ensemble of “Octet,” to actress Mary Bacon, the Actors Fund, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, to the Public Theater’s Mobile Unit, to WP Theater and Julia Miles and to intimacy coordinator Claire Warden. Full list of nominations: **Outstanding Play** Cambodian Rock Band, by Lauren Yee, Signature Theatre Greater Clements, by Samuel D. Hunter, Lincoln Center Theater Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven, by Stephen Adly Guirgis, Atlantic Theater Company/LAByrinth Theater Company Heroes of the Fourth Turning, by Will Arbery, Playwrights Horizons The Inheritance, by Matthew Lopez **Outstanding Musical** Octet, Signature Theatre The Secret Life of Bees, Atlantic Theater Company Soft Power, The Public Theater A Strange Loop, Playwrights Horizons/Page 73 Productions The Wrong Man, MCC Theater **Outstanding Revival of a Play** Fefu and Her Friends, Theatre for a New Audience for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, The Public Theater Mac Beth, Red Bull Theater/Hunter Theater Project Much Ado About Nothing, The Public Theater A Soldier’s Play, Roundabout Theatre Company **Outstanding Revival of a Musical** Little Shop of Horrors The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Transport Group West Side Story **Outstanding Actor in a Play** Charles Busch, The Confession of Lily Dare Edmund Donovan, Greater Clements Raúl Esparza, Seared Francis Jue, Cambodian Rock Band Triney Sandoval, 72 Miles to Go… Kyle Soller, The Inheritance **Outstanding Actress in a Play** Rose Byrne, Medea Liza Colón-Zayas, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven Emily Davis, Is This A Room April Matthis, Toni Stone Ruth Negga, Hamlet **Outstanding Actor in a Musical** David Aron Damane, The Unsinkable Molly Brown Chris Dwan, Enter Laughing Joshua Henry, The Wrong Man Francis Jue, Soft Power Larry Owens, A Strange Loop **Outstanding Actress in a Musical** Tammy Blanchard, Little Shop of Horrors Beth Malone, The Unsinkable Molly Brown Saycon Sengbloh, The Secret Life of Bees Elizabeth Stanley, Jagged Little Pill Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical **Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play** Victor Almanzar, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven Esteban Andres Cruz, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play Paul Hilton, The Inheritance Chris Perfetti, Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow **Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play** Patrice Johnson Chevannes, runboyrun & In Old Age Kristina Poe, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven Belange Rodríguez, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Elizabeth Rodriguez, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven Lois Smith, The Inheritance **Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical** George Abud, Emojiland Christian Borle, Little Shop of Horrors Jay Armstrong Johnson, Scotland, PA Conrad Ricamora, Soft Power Ryan Vasquez, The Wrong Man **Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical** Yesenia Ayala, West Side Story Paula Leggett Chase, The Unsinkable Molly Brown LaChanze, The Secret Life of Bees Alyse Alan Louis, Soft Power Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill **Outstanding Director of a Play** Jessica Blank, Coal Country Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance John Ortiz, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven Tina Satter, Is This A Room Erica Schmidt, Mac Beth **Outstanding Director of a Musical** Stephen Brackett, A Strange Loop Thomas Kail, The Wrong Man Kathleen Marshall, The Unsinkable Molly Brown Leigh Silverman, Soft Power Annie Tippe, Octet **Outstanding Choreography** Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, West Side Story Keone Madrid and Mari Madrid, Beyond Babel Kathleen Marshall, The Unsinkable Molly Brown Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! Travis Wall, The Wrong Man **Outstanding Music** Ross Golan, The Wrong Man Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop Dave Malloy, Octet Joshua Rosenblum, Einstein’s Dreams Duncan Sheik, The Secret Life of Bees Jeanine Tesori, Soft Power **Outstanding Lyrics** Susan Birkenhead, The Secret Life of Bees Adam Gwon, Scotland, PA Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop Joanne Sydney Lessner and Joshua Rosenblum, Einstein’s Dreams Dave Malloy, Octet Mark Saltzman, Romeo & Bernadette **Outstanding Book of a Musical** David Henry Hwang, Soft Power Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop Dave Malloy, Octet Lynn Nottage, The Secret Life of Bees Mark Saltzman, Romeo & Bernadette Dick Scanlan, The Unsinkable Molly Brown **Outstanding Orchestrations** Tom Kitt, Jagged Little Pill Alex Lacamoire, The Wrong Man Or Matias and Dave Malloy, Octet Danny Troob, John Clancy, and Larry Hochman, Soft Power Jonathan Tunick, West Side Story **Outstanding Music in a Play** Steve Earle, Coal Country Frightened Rabbit, Square Go Jim Harbourne, Feral Martha Redbone, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf Adam Seidel, Jane Bruce, and Daniel Ocanto, Original Sound **Outstanding Scenic Design for a Play** Catherine Cornell, Mac Beth Clint Ramos, Grand Horizons Adam Rigg, Fefu and Her Friends Paul Steinberg, Judgment Day B.T. Whitehill, The Confession of Lily Dare **Outstanding Scenic Design for a Musical** Julian Crouch, Little Shop of Horrors Anna Louizos, Scotland, PA Derek McLane, Moulin Rouge! Clint Ramos, Soft Power Amy Rubin and Brittany Vasta, Octet **Outstanding Costume Design for a Play** Asa Benally, Blues for an Alabama Sky Montana Levi Blanco, Fefu and Her Friends Toni-Leslie James, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf Antony McDonald, Judgment Day Rachel Townsend and Jessica Jahn, The Confession of Lily Dare Kaye Voyce, Coriolanus **Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical** Vanessa Leuck, Emojiland Jeff Mahshie, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice Mark Thompson, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical Anita Yavich, Soft Power Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge! **Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play** Isabella Byrd, Heroes of the Fourth Turning Oona Curley, Dr. Ride’s American Beach House Heather Gilbert, The Sound Inside Mimi Jordan Sherin, Judgment Day Yi Zhao, Greater Clements **Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical** Betsy Adams, The Wrong Man Jane Cox, The Secret Life of Bees Herrick Goldman, Einstein’s Dreams Bruno Poet, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge! **Outstanding Projection Design** David Bengali, Einstein’s Dreams Julia Frey, Medea Luke Halls, West Side Story Lisa Renkel and POSSIBLE, Emojiland Hannah Wasileski, Fires in the Mirror **Outstanding Sound Design for a Play** Paul Arditti and Christopher Reid, The Inheritance Justin Ellington, Heroes of the Fourth Turning Mikhail Fiksel, Dana H. Palmer Hefferan, Fefu and Her Friends Lee Kinney and Sanae Yamada, Is This A Room **Outstanding Sound Design for a Musical** Tom Gibbons, West Side Story Kai Harada, Soft Power Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge! Hidenori Nakajo, Octet Nevin Steinberg, The Wrong Man **Outstanding Wig and Hair Design** Campbell Young Associates, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical Cookie Jordan, Fefu and Her Friends Nikiya Mathis, STEW Tom Watson, The Great Society Bobbie Zlotnik, Emojiland **Outstanding Solo Performance** David Cale, We’re Only Alive for a Short Amount of Time Kate del Castillo, the way she spoke Laura Linney, My Name is Lucy Barton Jacqueline Novak, Get on Your Knees Deirdre O’Connell, Dana H. **Unique Theatrical Experience** Beyond Babel, Hideaway Circus Feral, Tortoise in a Nutshell/Cumbernauld Theatre/59E59 Is This A Room, Vineyard Theatre Midsummer: A Banquet, Food of Love Productions/Third Rail Projects **Outstanding Fight Choreography** Vicki Manderson, Square Go Thomas Schall, A Soldier’s Play UnkleDave’s Fight House, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven **Outstanding Adaptation** A Christmas Carol, by Jack Thorne Judgment Day, by Christopher Shinn Mojada, by Luis Alfaro Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow, by Halley Feiffer **Outstanding Puppet Design** Raphael Mishler, Tumacho Rockefeller Productions, Paddington Gets in a Jam Amanda Villalobos, Is This A Room **Special Awards** **Ensemble Award:** To the eight pitch-perfect performers in Dave Malloy’s a cappella musical Octet:Adam Bashian, Kim Blanck, Starr Busby, Alex Gibson, Justin Gregory Lopez, J.D. Mollison, Margo Seibert, and Kuhoo Verma proved instrumental in giving a layered look at modern forms of addiction. **Sam Norkin Award:** To actress Mary Bacon, who continued her versatile career of compassionate, searing work for such companies as The Mint, Primary Stages, The Public Theater, and The Actors Theater Company, with two of Off-Broadway’s most humane performances this season in Coal Country at the Public Theater and Nothing Gold Can Stay presented by Partial Comfort Productions. To The Actors Fund, Seth Rudetsky, and James Wesley for connecting members of the theater community and lifting spirits during the coronavirus crisis. The Actors Fund has worked tirelessly to provide financial and health resources to those impacted by the pandemic; Rudetsky and Wesley’s semi-daily “Stars in the House” webcast is raising funds for The Actors Fund, while providing performances, reunions, and medical updates. To The Public Theater’s Mobile Unit, a reinvention of Joseph Papp’s “Mobile Theater” that began in 1957 and evolved into the New York Shakespeare Festival and The Public Theater. The current Mobile Unit tours free Shakespeare throughout the five boroughs, including prisons, homeless shelters, and community centers, reminding audiences new and old that the play really is the thing. To WP Theater and Julia Miles, the company’s founder who died this spring. Formerly known as The Women’s Project and Productions, the company began in 1978 at American Place Theatre, where Miles served as associate to visionary artistic director Wynn Handman, who also died this spring. WP is the largest, most enduring American company that nurtures and produces works by female-identified creators. Over a little more than four decades, it has changed the demographics of American drama through an unwavering focus on women writers, directors, producers, performers, and craftspeople. To Claire Warden for her pioneering work as an intimacy choreographer in such recent projects as Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune and Linda Vista, and her leadership in the rapidly emerging movement of intimacy direction. As part of the creative team of Intimacy Directors & Coordinators and Director of Engagement for and co-founder of Intimacy Directors International, she is helping create theater experiences that are safer for performers and more authentic for contemporary audiences.